SCANNERS

SCANNERS (1981). Director: David Cronenberg.

A drug given to pregnant woman has created a group of "scanners," people who have bizarre telepathic and telekinetic abilities. Some of these are good, some bad, and some have been nearly driven crazy by the voices in their heads. Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack) is one of the latter, and he's taken under the wing of Dr. Paul Ruth (Patrick McGoohan), and teams up with lady scanner Kim Obrist (Jennifer O'Neill). Meanwhile, the bad scanners, led by Darryl Revok (Michael Ironside), as well as others, are running around killing off the good guys. Revok hopes that he and his team of scanners can ultimately rule the planet. At the climax Vale and Revok have a dramatic -- and gruesome -- battle of wills and powers. Okay comic book movie has some decent effects and Dick Smith make up, but twenty-seven years after its release it's been overshadowed by superior movies and more dazzling FX work. But the main problem is that the characters are under-developed and the story doesn't sustain interest. The "big" scene in the movie has Revok blowing up the head of a man in a lecture hall. Lack isn't a very dynamic leading man, but Ironside certainly has a lot of pizazz and charisma.

Verdict: Nothing worth staying home for. **.

A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO

A-HAUNTING WE WILL GO (1942). Director: Albert L. Werker.

Stan and Ollie are hired to accompany a corpse on a train, but the coffin gets mixed up with another one employed by magician Dante in his act; the boys are soon dodging hoods who wanted to use the "body" in a scam even as they appear as assistants in Dante's stage act. The title was probably chosen because it would remind audiences of Abbott and Costello's Hold That Ghost, which was a big hit the previous year. While A-Haunting We Will Go is not a classic like the A&C film, it is still a fun, fast-moving romp with the boys doing some great bits and getting solid laughs. Elisha Cook, Jr. plays one of the hoods and even dresses up as an old granny at one point. Mantan Moreland has a brief funny bit as a waiter who serves the boys food in the dining car (the film's end-title cast-list credits Willie Best with this bit but it is clearly Moreland).

Verdict: No masterpiece, but fun. **1/2.

LAUGHING WITH LUCY

LAUGHING WITH LUCY. Madelyn Pugh Davis with Bob Carroll Jr..

This is a very pleasant memoir written by one of the members of the writing team for the classic sitcom I Love Lucy. There are some interesting backstage stories but nothing of a scandalous nature, which is not at all what the author has in mind. Rather this celebrates a great TV show and the people who worked on it, and relates some of the behind-the-scenes details of writing for a hit show and the pressure it engendered; there is a bit about the author's personal life and family as well. The author ends the book with a comment that many people often come up to her and tell her that when they're blue an episode of I Love Lucy always snaps them out of their funk and cheers them up – the highest compliment you can give the funny series. NOTE: For more on classic episodes of I Love Lucy, click here.

Verdict: Highly recommended for Lucy fans. ***.

L'ECLISSE aka ECLIPSE

L'ECLISSE (1962/Eclipse). Director: Michelangelo Antonioni.

L'eclisse is a perfect example of a movie that's interesting and boring at one and the same time. Basically the film details a couple of days in the life of Vittoria (Monica Vitti), who breaks up with her fiance, Riccardo (Francisco Rabal), spends time with a racist girlfriend who spent time in Kenya, watches her mother (Lilla Brignone) lose at the stock market, and dallies with a handsome, callow young stockbroker named Piero (French actor Alain Delon, who appears to be dubbed). The film is cinematic, well-directed by Antonioni (who also co-scripted), and boasts crisp black and white cinematography by Gianni Di Venanzo, but despite the introduction of some ideas (which aren't well-developed) and several characters (also not especially well developed), it lacks a strong story and hasn't real depth. The best sequence has to do with a crowd gathering as Piero's stolen car is dredged up from the river -- along with the corpse of the drunk driver who took it. The crowd, including children, mill about as if it's a carnival, and Piero complains about the dents in the car. "Your thinking about the dents ... " says Vittoria. The film is full of striking images of the city, and there is an arresting ride in a small plane as well. Still, despite its good points, one wishes the film was more dramatic and entertaining.

Verdict: Strictly for Antonioni admirers. **.

MERTON OF THE MOVIES

MERTON OF THE MOVIES (1947). Director: Robert Alton.

Red Skelton stars as a movie usher, Merton Gill, with big dreams who winds up going to Hollywood and supposedly becoming protege of big star Lawrence Rupert (Leon Ames), who has no use for him. Befriended by a stunt woman, Phyllis (Virgina O'Brien), who also has ambitions, he winds up starring in parodies of Rupert's films -- only he thinks they're supposed to be serious. Not much of a "laugh out loud" movie but the picture is well-acted, good-natured and pleasant, with a happy wind-up for all. After Skelton, Gloria Grahame is the cast stand-out as sexy movie star Beulah Baxter, who at one point tries to "vamp" Merton. O'Brien is a perfectly pleasing leading lady with a certain elusive quality, yet ... somehow she lacks a certain oomph, although she's more than competent. She does show more emotion in this than she did as a singer (her funny shtick was to have an immobile face as she sang).

Verdict: pleasant time waster with nice performances and sentiment. **1/2.

THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS

THE MASK OF DIMITRIOS (1944). Director: Jean Negulesco.

A mystery writer named Leyden (Peter Lorre) is fascinated by the tales of a master criminal, Dimitrios Makropolous (Zachary Scott), who was found dead on a beach, and travels to interview people who knew -- and hated -- him. On his journeys he encounters Mr. Peters (Sydney Greenstreet), who wants to know what Leyden is up to without giving away any of his own secrets. Flashbacks illustrate the increasingly violent and cunning career of Dimitrios -- one of the best vignettes details how he helps maneuver a harmless little clerk (Steven Geray) into betraying his country via greed and gambling. But Dimitrios may even have one last trick up his sleeve. Although quite talky, the picture moves fast and features excellent performances from the entire cast; Lorre and especially Greenstreet are a marvel to watch as they emote with great skill and conviction. Kurt Katch as Colonel Haki, Victor Francen as Grudek, Marjorie Hoshelle as the clerk Bulic's wife, are all stand-outs, with Florence Bates and Edward (Eduardo) Ciannelli also offering noteworthy bits. Faye Emerson isn't bad as a discarded woman in Dimitrios' life. Negulesco may not be a Hitchcock (it would be interesting to ponder how the great Hitch would have handled this material) but his direction is quite good nonetheless. Based on A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler.

Verdict: Fascinating! ***1/2.

SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943)

SHADOW OF A DOUBT (1943). Director: Alfred Hitchcock.

Young "Charlie" Newton (Teresa Wright) is thrilled that her Uncle Charlie (Joseph Cotten) has come to the small town of Santa Rosa for a visit, but when she learns he's a suspect in the "Merry Widow" strangulation murders of three wealthy widows, the friendly visit becomes a battle of wills between two determined individuals. Shadow of a Doubt, bolstered by a script co-written by Thornton Wilder which features interesting, three-dimensional characters (perhaps young Ann is a bit too "cute" and precocious), is also quite talky and drags in spots, making it hard to sustain the tension. However, it holds the attention and spins a fascinating web around the two Charlies as they dance their sinister dance. Joseph Cotten never had a better role or gave a better performance, and he is matched by Teresa Wright. Patricia Collinge ("Birdie" from The Little Foxes) is strong and touching as the mother and sister who loves both Charlies, and there are a lot of good character performances. Hume Cronyn, who plays a friend of Charlie's father and is comedy relief, becomes a little tiresome after awhile. There are some nice Hitchcock touches in the picture -- Uncle Charlie's family walking ahead of him and out of camera range as he remains isolated (after they pick him up at the station); the tracking shot to the ring on young Charlie's finger -- but it is obvious that the beginning and ending of certain sequences (which open or end too abruptly) were left on the cutting room floor. Although well-photographed, the film still has the look of a B feature. One could also quibble about certain plot points.

Verdict: Despite imperfections, an effective and occasionally chilling picture with great lead performances. ***1/2.

TOM CRUISE

TOM CRUISE An Unauthorized Biography. Andrew Morton. St. Martin's Press; 2008.

You won't find much about his films or acting technique in this bio of the movie star, but Morton does delve into the actor's psychology. The book has a rather dull, inauspicious opening, as it details Cruise's early life, and spends far too many pages refuting any claims that the homophobic Cruise might be gay, but Morton is a clever fellow and he knows that the only thing that infuriates Cruise more is any "attack" on his beloved Scientology. An increasingly horrifying read, the book makes clear that Cruise is a dangerous nut job wholly devoted to a "religion" that honestly wants to take over the world. The descriptions of his relationships with wives, girlfriends, family members, and those he wants to indoctrinate into his "faith," are chilling. Morton also delves into Cruise's bizarre relationship with Scientology head David Miscavige, the actor's odd behavior on the Oprah Winfrey show, and his attack on Brooke Shields simply because she took medication to help her deal with post-partum depression. Morton goes behind the scenes of the Scientology cult to expose its fanaticism, grotesque beliefs, and fascistic tendencies to attack and destroy anyone who disagrees with its tenets. [Cruise and his brethren actually compare negative attitudes toward Scientology with the Nazi persecution of Jews, Gays and others!] This is a fascinating, frightening read that reveals the power of, and damage done, by the obsession with celebrity.

Verdict: Excellent! ***1/2.

THE PATSY

THE PATSY ( 1964). Director: Jerry Lewis.

It's probably not the best idea to begin a comedy with the crash of an airliner (although most of it occurs off-screen). However, this inauspicious opening scene sets up the premise of the movie, in which a schnook bellboy named Stanley Belt (Jerry Lewis) is chosen as the new successor of a famous comedian who died on the plane. The late man's entire staff decide they can not only stay together as friends and co-workers but also change somebody's life for the better by creating a new star. Unfortunately, they have their hands full with Belt, who has no discernible talent and is stupid -- if sweet -- as well. This is a winning comedy from Lewis (who also co-wrote with Bill Richmond) with a fine cast of great character actors and several memorable sequences, including a bit with Jerry getting singing lessons from Hans Conreid in a parlor full of valuable antiques -- uh oh! The Chaplin influence is obvious in a bittersweet flashback to an embarrassing prom night, and in a funny sequence when Lewis dines out with Ellen Betz (played with warm graciousness by a lovely Ina Balin). Another highlight is when Belt really bombs during his opening night monologue at the Copa. Numerous guest stars include Hedda Hopper, who wears a hat that doubles as a huge table umbrella, and Ed Sullivan, good-naturedly spoofing his many famous mannerisms as he intros Belt on his show. The supporting cast includes Everett Sloane, Phil Harris, John Carradine, Keenan Wynn, Nancy Kulp, and more. Last film role for Peter Lorre.

Verdict: One of Jerry's best. ***.

THE MAD MAGICIAN

THE MAD MAGICIAN (1954). Director: John Brahm.

Don Gallico (Vincent Price), who seeks fame as a world-class magician in the Victorian era, is stymied at every turn by his nasty employer Ross Ormond (Donald Randolph). So he makes the man a victim of his buzz saw device in a zestfully ghoulish sequence. This leads into other murders as he takes on Ormond's identity and has to deal with another magician, Rinaldi (John Emery), who covets his latest device, a working crematorium. With a very clever script by Crane Wilbur, The Mad Magician is very entertaining and features a winningly devilish performance by Price as a man pushed to the end of his rope. His knocking off evil people provides a certain catharsis as only a film can do. Mary Murphy is Gallico's assistant, and Patrick O'Neal plays her boyfriend, a visiting New York City police lieutenant. Eva Gabor is Claire, Ormond's wife, who used to be married to Price. Lenita Lane is Mary Prentiss, a mystery novelist who helps O'Neal get at the truth; five years later she would again appear with Price as Lizzie in The Bat. The versatile Jay Novello plays her husband, Frank, as British in this as he was South American in The Lost World (1960); he also played Mr. Merriweather in the classic "Seance" episode of I Love Lucy. The wildest scene has Price trying to get back a valise accidentally picked up by Karen which, unbeknownst to her, contains the head of Ormond! Originally presented in 3-D.

Verdict: Lots of fun! ***.

HOUSEWIFE

HOUSEWIFE (1934). Director: Alfred E. Green.

Nan Reynolds (Ann Dvorak) helps to push her husband Bill (George Brent) to success, then has to deal with it when he falls in love with a man-hungry co-worker, Patricia Berkeley (Bette Davis, pictured) and says he wants to marry her. You can argue that the film is fairly predictable and formulaic, but it's also well-acted by the principals and surprisingly entertaining. Dvorak is very lovely and capable, Brent proves again that he could give many a winning performance, and Davis is saucy and likable despite her "bad girl" role. John Halliday and Ruth Donnelly also score as, respectively, one of Bill's clients (in his advertising business), who falls for Nan, and Nan's amused and amusing sister-in-law, Dora.

Verdict: Nothing special, but easy to take. ***.

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE

ABBOTT AND COSTELLO MEET DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1953). Director: Charles Lamont.

Bud and Lou are cast as American visitors to 19th century London who become bobbies so they can compare police methods (although it's hard to imagine any American Police department wanting them on the force). Meanwhile, a mad killer with a twisted face is on the loose. Craig Stevens is detective Bruce Adams, who has a hankering for pretty women's rights advocate Vicky Edwards (Helen Westcott). Vicky is the ward of kindly Dr. Jekyll (Boris Karloff) who, unbeknownst to her, has a hankering for her, and decides to use his evil Mr. Hyde persona to kill off handsome rival Bruce. Bud and Lou are, of course, in the middle of all this. There are amusing chase scenes and a very funny sequence when Lou is accidentally turned into a kind of giant mouse! The Women's rights advocates sing "Equal Rights for Women" while kicking up their legs! Karloff is excellent, almost giving a serious performance in the film.

Verdict: Lots of fun for A & C aficionados. ***.

TALLULAH!

TALLULAH! The Life and Times of a Leading Lady. Joel Lobenthal. ReganBooks; 2004.

A very readable and thorough look at the life of Tallulah Bankhead, from her childhood, to her years on the London stage, her brief forays into Hollywood, and her triumphs and flops on Broadway – and her mostly upfront life as a "bisexual" adventuress. The book successfully debunks many of the myths about Bankhead, including her alleged lack of talent [many saw her merely as a personality], her supposed bad relations with Hitchcock during the making of Lifeboat [they actually got along quite well], etc. A problematic section of the book deals with her relationship with and pandering to gay fans of a certain stripe According to Lobenthal, Bankhead would try to give serious performances in plays but the gay fans – at least some gay fans -- would hoot at any halfway suggestive line and after awhile she catered some of her performances to this contingent, to the detriment of her art. [Lobenthal doesn't quite make it clear that these obsessive fans hardly constituted the entire gay community and that not every gay fan came only for Bankhead's camp value]. There are many solid interviews and good documentation of Bankhead's final years and performances. And plenty of humor, such as when Bankhead lies in wait in Gary Cooper's dressing room and he comes “bounding out with lipstick printed from forehead to chin.” The book is peppered with amusing anecdotes of Bankhead's sexual and alcoholic escapades but is always written with compassion and understanding.

Verdict: Good read. ***.

DON WINSLOW OF THE NAVY

DON WINSLOW OF THE NAVY (1942). 13 chapter Filmcraft Inc. serial. Directed by Ford Beebe and Ray Taylor.

Despite some okay action set pieces this is not one of the better or more entertaining serials. Dick Foran-type Don Terry is okay as Commander Winslow of US Naval Intelligence, who takes on the forces of saboteur The Scorpion, whose chief aide is played by John Litel. Somehow this Filmcraft production lacks that certain energy and no-how of the Republic and Columbia serials despite the talents at the helm. The Scorpion, who rarely appears, is a completely colorless and unmasked foe [he's still on the loose at the end] and the musical score is terrible, languid and generally inappropriate. A couple of memorable scenes: a hungry shark sets off in pursuit of Don, and Don falling unconscious as a plane he is in dives toward the ocean. But this is not very good all told.

Verdict: Skip it. *1/2.,

PLUNDER OF THE SUN

PLUNDER OF THE SUN (1953). Director: John Farrow.

Insurance adjuster Al Colby (Glenn Ford) winds up involved with two mysterious women, thugs, and murderers while hunting treasure almost by default in Mexico. Seems everyone wants to get their hands on a certain Spanish manuscript. Julie Barnes (Diana Lynn) is a boozy, man-hungry self-described "tramp," while Anna Luz (Patricia Medina) is a more patrician and enigmatic beauty. Francis L. Sullivan and Sean McClory are also involved in the skulduggery. This is a mediocre, standard thriller with a low thrill level, most of the excitement coming from Antonio Diaz Conde's richly-orchestrated musical score, which pulls you in from the opening credits. The acting is perfectly okay, but the movie never really comes to a boil. Filmed on and around the Zapotecan ruins in Mexico.

Verdict: The title is very pretentious. **.

LOU'S ON FIRST

LOU'S ON FIRST. A Biography by Chris Costello with Raymond Strait. St. Martin's Press. 1981. [NOTE: A more recent edition was published by Cooper Square Press in 2000.]

This is a very entertaining biography of Lou Costello of Abbott and Costello fame by his youngest daughter Chris. The book looks at his early life, the beginnings of his career, meeting Bud Abbott, the swift rise of Abbott and Costello, their many different films (although there is little if any film analysis) for different studios, with quotes from relatives and other people who knew and worked with him. Chris writes affectingly of the terrible tragedy -- the drowning death of Lou's little boy Butch a couple of days before his first birthday (the photo of the little fellow getting his first haircut is a heart breaker) -- that terribly impacted on him, his wife, and his life from that day forward. Lou's on First is not a whitewash, but neither is it a "Daddy Dearest;" Costello writes with real affection of her father, but doesn't cover up the gambling addiction that led to serious IRS troubles, and the loss of the heady lifestyle that the author grew up with. Costello also examines with compassion her mother's alcoholism, as well as the illness that laid her father out flat for almost a year and troubled him increasingly in later years; as well, she looks into the strained relationship that existed between Lou and Bud. In all, it's an affectionate portrait of a talented, exasperating, troubled and all-too-human human being.

Verdict: Excellent. ***1/2.

STRANDED

STRANDED (1935). Director: Frank Borzage.

Lynn Palmer (Kay Francis) has dedicated her life to helping people via the Traveler's Aid Society. Back into her life comes an old school chum, Mack Hale (George Brent, pictured), who's building a bridge and dealing with hoods who want him to pay protection money. Mack is a practical, somewhat cold-blooded guy who thinks Lynn is a fool to care for losers who can't care for themselves (even though he hires a young man who came to her for help). As their relationship hits a personal crisis -- Lynn tells him that she won't give up her job after they've married -- things at Mac's job get worse. The hoods manage to get some of the workers drunk, which leads to a disturbing, indeed horrifying, scene, when one of the drunk men falls dozens of stories to his death. (In fact, that's about all you can think about until the end of the movie.) Things are resolved a bit too quickly -- that's Hollywood -- but Stranded is an engrossing picture featuring two excellent lead performances. Lynn Palmer is a fascinating, likable, independent female characterization and is is very well portrayed by Francis in one of her most notable performances. Donald Woods, Frankie Darro, Barton MacLane, Ann Shoemaker, and other fine character actors also give fine support.

Verdict: Very interesting drama. ***.

DARK EYES OF LONDON

DARK EYES OF LONDON [aka HUMAN MONSTER/1939-British). Director: Walter Summers.

Bela Lugosi not only runs an insurance company that drowns its clients for profit, but also disguises himself (with white fright wig and dubbed voice) as the kindly head of a Society for the Blind. Lugosi’s latest victim turns out to have a living heir, but the man is dispatched by Lugosi’s hulking, disfigured servant anyway, as Lugosi is still the beneficiary. But the man’s daughter turns up in London and meets a police man who is investigating a series of murders (all tied to the insurance scam). Dark Eyes is not a schlocky programmer by any means, but is well-produced and features an excellent performance by Lugosi, who gives his portrayal of the evil man 100% and then some. Watch him throwing one poor victim out of a second story doorway and into the river, or intoning "they were in my way" as he speaks of other victims. Lugosi’s character wanted to be a doctor but was turned down and pronounced "brilliant but unbalanced." Let’s face it – no one is better at being bitter than Bela Lugosi! A bit slow, and there’s way too much of the cops, but otherwise this is a nice, entertaining surprise with several nifty sequences.

Verdict: Definitely worth a look. ***.

CROSSROADS

CROSSROADS (1942). Director: Jack Conway.

Parisian government official David Talbot (William Powell) winds up in the center of a mystery when a man who tried to blackmail him claims that he is actually petty thief Jean Pelletier, who appropriated Talbot's identity after a train crash. As Talbot has amnesia, even he can't be certain that he isn't Pelletier. This situation is complicated by Henri Sarrou (Basil Rathbone) who claims that he and Pelletier committed a robbery that resulted in a man's murder, and Michelle Allaine (Claire Trevor), who says that she and Pelletier -- Talbot -- were once lovers. This last is especially distressing to Talbot's wife Lucienne (Hedy Lamarr). The suspenseful film doesn't reveal the truth about Talbot until nearly the end, and the acting is great. Powell and Lamarr play very well together, Powell a bit more intense than usual and Lamarr giving one of her loveliest interpretations. Rathbone is perfection as the oily Sarrou, and Trevor is tough and saucy as Michelle. Margaret Wycherly nearly steals the picture from everyone as Pelletier's old mother, however.

Verdict: Very engaging mystery. ***.

LA LUNA aka LUNA

LA LUNA (1979) . Director: Bernardo Bertolucci. Released as Luna in the U.S.

Jill Clayburgh stars as opera singer Catherina Silveri, whose husband (a briefly seen Fred Gwynne) drops dead, leaving her alone with her fourteen-year-old son Joe (Matthew Barry, who was actually 17 at the time). Before long, they are living in Italy, where Silveri sings in Verdi's operas. (When Clayburgh sings by herself in her home early in the film, one can't imagine she would ever be able to sing in an opera house. During the opera scenes, of course, her singing voice is dubbed.) Joe makes his way by himself through Rome as his mother essentially neglects him, until halfway through the movie the two begin a sexual relationship that starts with them making out in her car, then hitting the sheets -- yuck! This (unfortunately) non-judgmental incest drama could have gone in far more interesting directions but instead becomes a ponderous, pretentious mess about the mother of all bad mothers -- incest and pedophilia, no less -- and is far too repellent to sustain serious interest. A sub-plot with Joe meeting his real father doesn't help matters much. One of Bertolucci's all-time worst movies. The acting isn't bad, but common sense should have told Clayburgh -- and young Barry's parents -- to stay away from this movie! This also goes for Alida Valli, who appears in a small role.

Verdict: Yuck! *.

THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD

THE STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD (1975). Director: Vincent McEveety.

Even a host of veteran comics and character actors can't save this Disney comedy that takes a workable premise -- a super-strength formula increases a rivalry between two cereal companies -- and beats it into the ground. Student Dexter Riley (Kurt Russell) is the first one to inadvertently ingest the formula, but the Dean (Joe Flynn) demonstrates its efficacy to a cereal board presided over by no less than Eve Arden. Phil Silvers plays the head of the rival cereal company. It all leads to a weight-lifting competition which will supposedly prove which cereal is the best. Fritz Feld is a board member, Kathleen Freeman plays a cop, Mary Treen is the dean's secretary, and Cesar Romero is a hired crook -- all of them (and Silvers) deserved a better script. Flatly directed by McEveety. A few amusing bits but not enough to sustain a feature. Michael McGreevey is the kid who supposedly invented the formula.

Verdict: A waste of a great cast.

LAUREL AND HARDY SHORTS # 1

This DVD from Hallmark Home Entertainment contains the feature Sons of the Desert, as well as four comedy shorts, including the classic The Music Box, wherein the boys attempt to get a piano up a huge flight of outdoor stairs. Another Fine Mess has the boys, homeless and running from cops, hiding out in a deserted mansion and pretending to be the master of the house, and in Stan's case, both the butler and the maid (there's a priceless bit with "Agnes" joking on a couch with a prospective tenant's pretty wife). The acting in this is a bit broad, as if the "silent" approach hadn't yet been shrugged off, but it's very funny in spots. Country Hospital is a hilarious little gem in which Stan goes to the hospital to visit Oliver, who has a broken leg. Somehow Stan gets caught between Oliver, who winds up hanging from the ceiling, and the doctor, who's desperately dangling out of the window! A wild car ride in busy traffic ends the film. Busy Bodies, which is full of inventive stuff, has the boys causing havoc at the factory where they work. Busy Bodies contains one of the all-time greatest gags involving a vise and a paintbrush that's adhered to Ollie's chin! Good show!

Verdict: A very nice collection for Laurel and Hardy enthusiasts. ***.

MASTERS OF MENACE: GREENSTREET AND LORRE

MASTERS OF MENACE: GREENSTREET AND LORRE. Ted Sennett. E. P. Dutton. 1979.

Ted Sennett supplies an excellent overview of the careers of fine character actors Peter Lorre and Sydney Greenstreet, who were on occasion paired together, and whose screen images were often as smiling, sinister heavies, although both also played more benign roles in comedies. Masters of Menace is not a biography. There are some basic notes about the lives of these two actors, but nothing in depth. Instead Sennett analyzes -- and analyzes very well -- the various films they made, together and apart, and cites what the film did or did not do for each actor's career, and if the role suited them to the best advantage or not. Lots of great black and white photos and filmographies. Worth hunting down if you're a fan of both gentlemen -- and who isn't?

Verdict: Very good, fast, and informative read. ***.

SPY TRAIN

SPY TRAIN (1943). Director: Harold Young. 

In an attempt to blow up a case containing papers that can expose them, a German spy gang winds up inadvertently planting a time bomb on a train. This sounds exciting, and it might have been with some decent direction and a lively script, but this dull programmer has virtually nothing going for it, aside from a few seconds of minor suspense practically at the very end. Richard Travis, who had starred with Bette Davis in The Man Who Came to Dinner two years previously, demonstrates some charm in this, and Chick Chandler is his usual bouncy self as his buddy. Catherine Craig is the unexceptional heroine of the piece. Travis also starred in Missile to the Moon, which is a lot more fun, and Chick Chandler was in The Lost Continent (1951); ditto. 

Verdict: Pretty much the waste of an hour. *.

THE SHOW-OFF (1946)

THE SHOW-OFF (1946): Director: Harry Beaumont.

One of several versions of a play about an overbearing know-it-all and braggart who drives his in-laws to distraction but is loved by his wife, who recognizes his essential good heart and that he means well. Skelton is very well-cast in the part of Aubrey Piper, and as his gal, Marilyn Maxwell is more subdued and pleasing than usual. But the picture is nearly stolen by Marjorie Main as Skelton's exasperated mother-in-law. Marshall Thompson is Skelton's young brother-in-law, and Leon Ames is married to Maxwell's sister, Clara (Jacqueline White). Virginia O'Brien is Maxwell's girlfriend, who arranges a double-date wth Skelton. Eddie "Rochester" Anderson also appears briefly. Good supporting cast and a typically winning performance by Skelton makes this a pleasant, amusing, if somewhat minor comedy-drama.

Verdict: Fast-moving and entertaining. **1/2.

THE BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN

THE BEAST OF HOLLOW MOUNTAIN (1956). Directors: Edward Nassour; Ismael Rodriguez.

Jimmy Ryan (Guy Madison) runs a cattle ranch in Mexico with his friend Felipe (Carlos Rivas), but a creepy fellow named Enrique (Eduardo Noriega) wants to drive him out of town. Things between the two men worsen when it appears that Enrique's fiancee Sarita (Patricia Medina) is attracted to Jimmy. Meanwhile, some of Jimmy's cattle are disappearing ... Based on an idea of cowboys encountering dinosaurs by King Kong special effects man Willis O'Brien (who, reportedly, was supposed to do the effects for this film), Beast of Hollow Mountain was essentially remade as the vastly superior Valley of Gwangi (with effects by Ray Harryhausen) in 1969. The monster in this almost seems like an after-thought at times. It's 45 minutes until it makes its first (off-screen) appearance, and an hour until it bursts on the scene in full glory. However, the next twenty minutes until the film's end is full of lively Tyrannosaur Rex action. (No explanation is given for why it survived or why it's living inside a hollow mountain in Mexico.) The crude (but not necessarily dreadful) stop motion effects were done by Louis DeWitt, Jack Rabin and others, employing an inferior "replacement" animation [christened "regiscope" for this film] that uses several models instead of one fully articulated one. The monster looks better running in long-shot than in close-up. It's interesting to imagine how Harryhausen would have handled the final sequences, with the beast sliding down a sandy slope, reaching its claws into a crevice, galloping across the desert, and finally, falling into the swamp as Jerry swings temptingly before it on a rope. Some nice CinemaScope photography, although you rarely if ever see a close-up of any of the actors. Carlos Rivas, who has little to do, also appeared in The Black Scorpion (1957), as did Pascal Garcia Pena (as the "coffee break" scientist) and little Mario Navarro ( as Juanito), who in Beast respectively play Pancho and his son Panchito, who have a touching relationship that ends in tragedy.

Verdict: No world beater, but monster completists will want to see the final twenty minutes. **1/2.

OUTRAGE (1950)

OUTRAGE (1950). Director: Ida Lupino.

Ann Walton (Mala Powers) is a happy young women who has just been proposed to by Jim Owens (Robert Clarke), the man she's in love with. She's looking forward to a happy future when her future is compromised by a run-in with a rapist who assaults her. The first half of Outrage realistically details the effects of rape on a young woman, as Ann withdraws from her friends and family, shuns her fiance, and feels guilt and shame over an incident that was certainly not her fault. She eventually suffers a breakdown and runs off, coming under the protection of a kindly, attractive priest (Tod Andrews). But then the movie descends into melodrama, and Powers, frankly, isn't up to the challenges of the role. What could have been a powerful film is simply deadly dull. Lupino's direction isn't bad, but it doesn't do much to make the script, weak as it is, come alive. Robert Clarke, who appeared in several genre items in the fifties such as The Hideous Sun Demon, makes a nice impression as the boyfriend (Clarke did a lot of work on nighttime soaps during the 70's.) Powers appeared in Unknown Terror and Andrews was in From Hell it Came.

Verdict: Not memorable but deserves an A for effort, and for tackling a controversial theme. *1/2.

FLAMINGO ROAD

FLAMINGO ROAD (1949). Michael Curtiz.

It's Joan Crawford vs. Sydney Greenstreet in this entertaining melodrama which combines the stars of Mildred Pierce (Crawford, Zachary Scott) with that film's director, Michael Curtiz. (As well, Scott appeared with Greenstreet in the former's film debut The Mask of Dimitrios.) Crawford also plays a waitress (part of the time) as she did in Mildred. This time, as Lane Bellamy, she's stranded in a small town when the carnival runs off, and is befriended by Deputy Sheriff Field Carlisle (Scott), who, unfortunately, already has a girlfriend, Annabelle (Virgina Huston). Greenstreet is Sheriff Titus Semple, who wants his protege Field to go places in politics and wants Lane run out of town, even going so far as to have her arrested on trumped-up prostitution charges. When Lane whacks him in the face (not once but twice) for his role in this, it begins a formidable battle between two forces of nature, involving not only Field but also political boss Dan Reynolds (David Brian). Giving Titus a steely look across a restaurant table, Lane tells him how an elephant had to be shot down at the circus when it attacked its trainer. "You have no idea how hard it is to dispose of a dead elephant," says she. Flamingo Road could be called anti-corpulent were it not for the fact that Greenstreet/Semple's excessive avoirdupois is neatly tied into the plot.

All of the performances are good in Flamingo Road -- including Gladys George as the owner of a risque roadhouse and Gertrude Michael as a saucy waitress-friend of Lane's -- but Greenstreet pretty much walks off with the picture. Although he never manages a convincing Southern accent, his performance is still powerful, and Titus Semple is, in fact, one of the best roles the portly actor was ever given on the screen. Letting out with a rough giggle after George makes a comment about his weight as he climbs the stairs of her establishment, or confronting a whole roomful of men as he cheerfully blackmails them, Greenstreet is never less than mesmerizing. Curtiz' direction is brisk, Max Steiner's score evocative, and the dialogue positively crackles with gems ("My boyfriend cut himself on a knife I was holding," says Iris Adrian, one of the other women incarcerated with Lane). Oddly, the [uncredited] white maid, Sarah, speaks exactly as if she were doing an imitation of Butterfly McQueen (who was Crawford's maid in Mildred Pierce.) As an added bonus, Crawford does a sexy, smoky rendition of "If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight." A rags to riches story that also serves as a highly entertaining study of social hypocrisy. Not as good as Mildred Pierce, but not bad.

Verdict: Lots of fun! ***.